


Broken Promises

by Celestialgamora



Series: Affair Era [2]
Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Affair Era Aaron Dingle/Robert Sugden, Affairs, Drinking, Drunk Robert, Emotional Hurt, M/M, Sad Aaron Dingle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-02
Updated: 2018-04-02
Packaged: 2019-04-17 08:07:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14184588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Celestialgamora/pseuds/Celestialgamora
Summary: After an argument with Chrissie, Robert ends up at the Woolpack. It seems like he's trying to poison his liver, so Aaron steps in to stop Robert from self destructing. Some truths are revealed, and Aaron gets more than he bargained for.





	Broken Promises

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first thing I've written in a while. I've been watching a lot of old Emmerdale (no joke I watched a years worth if Emmerdale in 3 days only watching the parts relating to Aaron) so I'm currently obsessed with affair era robron.

The bar was starting to empty when Robert walked in. Adam and Vic had just gone, Moira and Cain closely following to show their support. Aaron would have gone too if he didn't live right above the bar. As it was, he ended up sitting at the bar with Paddy a few seats away, and Robert staring at him across the bar. His mum set another pint in front of him, before his glass had even touched the bar. She sent him a look, asking if he was alright and if he wanted her to throw Robert out all in one. He shook his head. It was fine, Aaron could handle the death glares being sent his way.

Poor bloke looked like he'd had a rough day anyway.

Chas served him with a smile, big and fake and plastered on her face like a painted clown. For some reason, call it pity or whatever, Aaron felt angry at his mum for treating him like that. He got it, Robert was infuriating. He knew better than anyone. Sometimes you just needed to let the guy live. Without the same fake smile as his mum, Robert bought a vodka coke and downed it in one long gulp. He ordered a second immediately after to chase it. Aaron frowned.

"Chrissie thrown you out?" Chas grinned. Robert looked up at her, the first time he had since he walked in, and he looked wrecked. Red rimmed eyes and blotched cheeks.

"Just an argument, actually," he spat out. It was amazing that even when he was miserable, he still had arrogance in his voice. "Get me another." Reluctantly, Chas poured him out another vodka coke before slipping into the back room.

Robert had finished his third drink before Aaron had even managed half his pint. The tears in his eyes had dried but his face was still puffy.

"Mate, you might wanna slow down," Aaron shouted across the bar. Paddy gave him a quick glance but Aaron ignored it. Just like Robert was him. As soon as his mum came back out to the bar, Robert hollered her over to take his drink order. Gin and tonic, switching it up. Aaron stopped trying to care; if Robert wanted a hangover in the morning that wasn't his fault.

By the time the bar hit midnight, only a few stragglers remained. Paddy had gone home to Rhona, leaving Kerry and Dan cuddled up in the corner, and of course Robert drinking himself to death. Any time Chas went over he'd start talking her ear off about Andy, about how much Lawrence hated him and how he couldn't afford to lose Chrissie. Aaron cringed everytime he said her damn name but it didn't stop him from spouting off. 

Chas was in the back room again, James calling her to talk about something serious, when Robert started kicking off.

"Can I get some service please!" His words were slurred but they sounded more desperate than angry. The door was shut between the bar and his home, his mum clearly trying to shut Robert out as much as possible. Aaron stood behind the bar, hand on the tap in front of Robert.

"Robert, I'm cutting you off before my mum chucks you out," Aaron said. Robert slammed his glass down in front of him, and pointed straight at Aaron.

"I fancy you," he declared. No one else in the pub seemed to take notice, or at least they didn't say anything about it. Aaron glared at him, because this thing they had was supposed to be secret only for Robert. If it was down to Aaron, he'd scream from the rooftops that he liked Robert, but they had to keep it hidden for his sake. So Chrissie didn't find out and so Katie wouldn't get the drop on him and so he couldn't lose his money. A million reasons why Robert just couldn't admit they were together.

"You're smashed, mate," Aaron said under his breath. Robert started giggling like a little kid.

"Yeah," he laughed. "But that doesn't mean I don't fancy the pants off you." Kerry looked up at that one and Aaron prayed she hadn't actually heard what he'd said.

"Listen, Robert," he hissed. "You need to shut the hell up!" He slammed his hands down on the bar, making Kerry glance towards them again. His death glare gave her enough reason to turn back to her pint but Robert was still mouthing off. A twinge of sympathy shot down Aaron's back, and his resolve softened.

"Aaron, I'm sorry."

"Yeah, mate, I know," Aaron sighed. "C'mon lets get you upstairs, no drink." He slipped around the side of the bar and placed a hand on Robert's waist. Instinctively, he wrapped his arm around Aaron's shoulder and buried his face in the scent of Aaron. He was mumbling something but Aaron couldn't tell what. He shrugged it off and walked Robert around the back. It was difficult with how Robert was stumbling about, him nearly slipping out of Aaron's grip. Completely legless. Aaron only just managed to get him to the sofa before they both collapsed.

Chas slammed her phone on the counter.

"I hope you're flaming joking!" She yelled.

"'M okay, 'm leavin'," Robert slurred as he spoke. He pushed Aaron away a tried to stand up, but slipped back into his arms.

"Mum, he can't walk," Aaron argued. "How the flaming hell is he supposed to get to home farm?"

"Taxi?" She snarked. Aaron looked across at Robert, sat there catatonic, and sighed. His mum was right, he should have just stuck him in the back of the taxi and left Chrissie to deal with the fall out. That's what fianceés were there for, right? He couldn't, watching Robert drunkenly sobbing and he just couldn't. His mum must have known that too, because she sighed longer and louder but nodded her head upstairs. "I hope you're staying on sofa." Of course he would be, he couldn't spend the night laid next to Robert knowing it wouldn't last forever.

He herded Robert up the narrow staircase, so different from the last time. Knowing which room was Aaron's, Robert managed to stumble ahead. He practically fell through the door, laughing as he did so. Dianne poked her head around the door and Aaron quickly explained the situation before she could ask any questions. All he wanted was Robert, or Robert out of his life, he couldn't decide. 

He decided to help Robert off the floor and onto the bed. A hand on his arm stopped Aaron from leaving the room.

"Stay... please." Robert sounded so young and vulnerable and the self he only showed to Aaron. He shouldn't, he really shouldn't, but Robert's pout was heartbreaking. Aaron shook himself.

"Shouldn't you call Chrissie," Aaron said, and he couldn't keep the bitterness out of his voice.

"I want you, Aaron," Robert whined. "You're so sad all the time and I wish I could make you happy. Every time I'm with her I think of you. I wish I was with you." Aaron had sat on the end of his bed, close enough that he could feel Robert's hand stroking his back. He couldn't face turning around to look at Robert, he knew he'd start crying.

"Don't lie to me, don't you say that to me and let me get hopes up." The waterworks started and Aaron cursed himself for being so weak. He'd made a promise he'd never cry over Robert. He'd broken that promise just like every time he vowed to never go back to him. "Don't tell me you love me because you don't."

With no warning, Robert pulled Aaron down so they were laid side by side. Aaron couldn't hide the tears that were rolling down his face, he tried to wipe them away but Robert stopped him. Aaron's hands in his, Robert planted kiss after kiss on his face. Sloppy kisses, drunken kisses, too good to be true kisses. It made Aaron want to cry more, because he was taking something that wasn't his. Robert wiped away the tears, although he was crying too. This is what they could have had.

"I wasn't lying, Aaron, I wanna do anything to make you happy," Robert mumbled. A second later, he was softly snoring on Aaron's shoulder, his arm wrapped tightly around Aaron's waist. Another broken promise; there was no way he was sleeping on the sofa.

 

Aaron woke up with an arm around his waist. For a second he forgot, thought maybe he'd picked up a random guy, but then he remembered Robert. He turned over and found him laid the face buried in Aaron's shoulder. In his sleep, Robert seemed so peaceful. As Aaron began to stir Robert did too, blinking awake.

"Aaron?" He said with a groggy voice. He sat up straight and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "What the hell am I doing here?" Aaron couldn't help but laugh.

"Should ask yourself that shouldn't you?" He replied. Robert frowned. He was about to make some snarky comment, Aaron could see it, so he quickly interrupted. "You got trashed, couldn't walk. Don't worry Dianne told Chrissie where you were so your Missus doesn't think you're playing away."

"And nothing happened?" He pushed. Aaron snorted, standing up and away from Robert. To say he was so concerned about protecting his virtue, Robert really hadn't minded mouthing off the night before.

"With my mum in the next room? Don't worry about it, mate," He spat out. He heard Robert breathe a sigh of a relief and that was it. "You know you were saying some funny stuff last night, Robert. Telling me you wanted to be with me instead of her." The bed creaked as Robert got up, still fully dressed in a creased shirt. Aaron stuggled to look up at him, knowing the next words out of his mouth would be vile spew made to hurt him.

"How could I want a mess like you over my beautiful fianceé?" Robert laughed. "Don't flatter yourself, Aaron. You said it yourself, I was trashed." Robert hurried around the room, making sure he had everything. Aaron watched him pick up his phone of the, must've slipped out of his pocket while they slept. The screen lit up with a million worried texts from Chrissie. God, Aaron felt sorry for her.

"That's right, go home to her." Robert glanced up at Aaron, and there was a change in his face. Almost as if he felt guilty.

"I'll see you some time in the week, yeah?"

Aaron hated himself so much.

"Yeah."

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this!!
> 
> No beta'd and written on my phone so any mistakes are mine, apologies


End file.
